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Waitrose managing director Mark Price has taken a pragmatic prudent approach to online, but the retailer can't rest as online grocery rival Ocado continues to expand. While Waitrose continues to put its existing customers at the heart of everything it does, it needs to become more active in order to protect itself from becoming over-reliant on Ocado.

Published By Datamonitor

Big Four grocer Morrisons has finally confirmed its entry to the UK online grocery market, signing a deal that will see it share technology, space and intellectual property with pureplay grocer Ocado. What does this mean for Ocado, Morrisons, Waitrose and the rest of the UK grocery market?

Published By Datamonitor

Morrisons reported yet another declining quarter of like-for-like sales this morning, its fifth back-to-back decline excluding fuel. The grocer, while having its strengths in a vertically integrated supply chain, is continuing to lose customers to its competitors.

Published By Datamonitor

John Lewis may have been the leading name in the roll call of winners at last week's Verdict Customer Satisfaction Awards, but the Verdict poll of 5,900 consumers also revealed the winning retailers within individual sectors. Verdict's analysts give their insight into why these retailers stood out to their customers.

Published By Datamonitor

The regular fuel price cuts from UK supermarkets over the past fortnight highlight the concern that the current fuel retailing strategy of supermarket retailers is unsustainable in the long term. As demand grows for alternative fuels, oil companies will have an enduring competitive advantage as innovators and producers of fuel.

Published By Datamonitor

Morrisons' launch of its own brand childrenswear range, Nutmeg, will see all the Big Four supermarkets selling clothing for the first time, further heightening their rivalry. Tesco and Asda are stalwarts in the market, and Sainsbury's offer is achieving impressive growth, so Morrisons' late entry means it will need to work hard to make an impact.

Published By Datamonitor

Ever-cautious UK grocer Morrisons has finally made a commitment to launch into online grocery retail by January 2014. Furthermore, it has announced talks with pureplay grocer Ocado to share intellectual property and operating knowledge. While the Ocado model might not be a panacea for Morrisons, it at least allows it to enter a channel that it has been careful to avoid for several years.

Published By Datamonitor

Following the revelations of horse meat in frozen burgers, the scandal has escalated throughout Europe, with suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers all involved. This has highlighted the complexity of the supply chains used to get meat onto consumers' tables. Retailers must become more diligent and ensure traceability so shoppers know exactly what they are paying for and eating.

Published By Datamonitor

UK grocery retailer Morrisons has been slow in launching its convenience format, with just 12 stores opened in 18 months. Despite being poised to open a new fulfillment center, and acquiring seven sites, the pace is still far too slow for its convenience proposition to be a success.

Published By Datamonitor

While the coffee drinkers of affluent southern towns may be horrified at the thought of mistakenly buying a Tesco latte, Harris + Hoole's strategy of at least appearing to be an independent community-based project points the way forward for modern retail chains. Verdict thinks this strategy will work well in food service and could also help combat showrooming in other retail sectors.